Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose levels) that leads to the development of vascular complications, especially in small blood vessels of the eye, kidney, and peripheral nerves. These tissues are especially vulnerable to hyperglycemic conditions, since the cells constructing these tissues may uptake glucose in an uncontrolled fashion.
A cataract is a disease of the lens of the eye in which a clouding obstructs the passage of light, causing vision loss and potentially blindness. Cataract prevalence is higher in patients suffering from diabetes than in non-diabetic population. Surgical extraction of cataract is the only cure known today. In addition to cataracts, diabetes has been linked with other diseases of the eye including glaucoma, retinopathy, macular edema and retinal detachment.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. CKD is characterized by a slow progressive loss of renal function, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, vascular remodeling and scarring of kidney tissue. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of CKD. In some instances, DN can lead to end stage renal disease (ESRD) in which a patient's kidneys cease to function and the patient requires kidney transplant or dialysis in order to survive.